The origin of the word pikelet stems from the Welsh bara pyglyd or pitchy bread, which was a dark, sticky bread. The word spread into England and was anglicised to Pikelet.
Very easy to prepare and cook, pikelets are traditionally small yet a similar version to pancakes.
Gradually the basic pikelet recipe travelled far and wide through the world, adapting to different ingredients and varying from family to family.
Australian Pikelets
1 egg 1 cup self-raising flour 1/4cup sugar 1/2 cup milk One drop vanilla essence – optional
First beat the egg then add flour, sugar, milk, vanilla essence. Combine all ingredients and mix lightly and evenly. More ingredients can be added to batter for preferred consistency. Tablespoon mixture onto a greased, heated frying pan or griddle. Cook until pikelets rise and turn light brown, flip once.
Pikelets are cooked plain then served with a topping while hot and fresh.
My photograph shows a rather lavish topping needing a knife and fork. Pikelets are normally finger food topped with jam and cream, or buttered, or a squeeze of lemon and dusting of icing sugar.
Children have been known to colour the batter with food dye for a holiday event.
Study Reading Wales #Dewithon22 Reading List—eat, read, enjoy!
Pancake Recipe from 1984 ‘Country Hospitality’ Cookery Book
This is an straightforward recipe, you can juggle amounts and type of ingredients to suit. I use whatever is available in the fridge. When you are hungry, you cannot afford to be too serious with pancake-making batter. My secret ingredient is camel milk.
PANCAKES
Ingredients
1 cup self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 cup camel milk (or other)
1 tablespoon butter (or other)
1 lemon
I have tried different milks, e.g. cow milk, soy milk, almond milk, goat milk (considered sheep milk) to versatile camel milk. The Summer Land camel milk makes consistently fluffy pancakes which keep well (if you have any left over) and they take a variety of spreads or toppings.
Method
Sift the flour and salt; make a hole in the flour and break the egg into it, gradually stirring in as much flour as the egg will take;
Add half the milk by degrees and continue stirring until all the flour is absorbed;
Continue beating until bubbles rise, then stir in the rest of the milk gradually and stand batter aside for at least half an hour (I never do);
Take a small piece of butter and melt into the frying pan. Pour butter out and wipe the pan with paper (not necessary with non-stick pans) then put another piece of butter in, and when it has melted pour in a little of the batter and fry till it is light brown and tiny bubbles form;
Turn with a spatula, and when cooked on both sides, slip pancake onto a piece of paper. Continue in the same way until all the batter is used.
Serve
The ICPA serving suggestion is “sprinkle with castor sugar, roll up. Serve hot, garnished with slices of lemon.” However, I love them spread with soy margarine, honey and slices of banana. Try seasonal fruit, peanut butter, savoury mince or a soft square of camel fetta.
Note: Summer Land camel milk (1 litre bottle) available at organics grocery stores, and also in milk powder formula. Use it with your own favourite recipe!
Thanks
This recipe is courtesy of Mrs L Nicholas of Solferino, Clermont, Queensland Australia. Recipe published in ‘Country Hospitality’ compiled by Clermont Branch of the Isolated Children’s Parents Association 1984 with illustrations by Branch member Margaret Finger of Redrock, Clermont, Queensland Australia. Metric conversions are approximate.
Following on from our large home-grown pumpkin and Grandma’s Pumpkin Scone Recipe, every cookery book containing a pumpkin formulation now comes under scrutiny. Our most recent addition is Pumpkin Chia Mini Muffins.
Here’s the recipe if you feel like something tasty for lunch – with or without an accompaniment – and you can make them any size you wish!
Home-grown Kent Jap Pumpkin ready for cooking – June 2020
Pumpkin scones are a traditional morning tea favourite in Queensland. Unsophisticated yet delicious, these golden scones were much-loved by the late Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen, politician and wife of former Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, and she often baked them for public occasions.
Seen as tea-time treats, they are available by the half dozen in bakeries and displayed in the cookery section of annual shows and exhibitions. For home cooking, pumpkin scones have stood the test of time due to their quick preparation and adaptability. They can be eaten sweet with strawberry jam and whipped cream, or savoury with cheddar cheese and chutney.
For full flavour, pumpkin scones are best eaten warm from the oven, but they store well and a quick turn in the microwave gives them a boost on a chilly morning.
Packed and ready for visiting family – June 2020
Grandma’s Pumpkin Scones
3 cups self raising flour
pinch salt
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup mashed pumpkin – cooled
1 egg
milk
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, add mashed pumpkin. Sift in flour alternately with enough milk to make soft, light dough. Pat out or roll on floured board to desired thickness. Cut with round cutter. Place on tray and brush with milk or lightly dust with flour. Bake in a hot oven. Serve warm; plain or with topping.
Above recipe is adapted from Jenny Purvis, “Kilmarnock” Clermont, Queensland. Courtesy of “Country Hospitality: A Comprehensive Cookery Book” compiled by the Clermont Branch of Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association 1984 edition.
Plain, buttered, chutney or jam topping?
A prayer follows the foreword by former Executive Officer, Queensland Council ICPA, Mr E C Powne MBE, and reprinted below:
My Kitchen Prayer
Bless my little kitchen, Lord,
I love its every nook, And bless me as I do my work, Wash pots and pans and cook.
May the meals that I prepare, Be seasoned from above, With thy blessing and thy grace, But most of – thy Love.
As we partake of earthly food,
Thy table Thou has spread, We’ll not forget to thank thee, Lord, For all our daily bread.
So bless my little kitchen, Lord, And those who enter in, May they find nought but joy and peace, And happiness therein. Amen.
Nature’s winter bounty brightens our day – June 2020
♥Gretchen Bernet-Ward
ADDENDUM: Kent pumpkin (also known as Jap pumpkin) has ribbed, grey-green mottled skin and golden yellow flesh. This pumpkin is of the sweeter variety, perfect for pumpkin scones, salads and baked dishes. Great mashed, roasted or steamed and mixed with a variety of sweet or savoury foods. Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta carotene and contains dietary fibre, potassium, and vitamins C and E for good health.
Alighted from the train in Ipswich City with friends and decided to have brunch. We chose Fourchild Cafe Restaurant, 126 Brisbane Street, because it’s handy to the railway station. The business is family owned and operated and they prepare everything by hand, in-house, with produce sourced from Lockyer Valley farms and local suppliers.
Rather than give you a rundown of our visit, I have posted photographs with a comment or two underneath. Bon appétit!
A food blogger would know the latest words for edgy decor but I’d say colourful.
What it says – a cold drip coffee device with the look of a mad scientist invention.
A comprehensive ‘Know Your Coffee’ espresso menu which I am going to carry with me always. Not the board, just the photo!
It was a hot springtime day so settled for a tall iced coffee with whipped cream.
Corn fritter pancake stack with bacon, poached egg, tomato salsa, scattered with feta. Actually it had two eggs but I gave one away!
Dessert cabinet love at first sight! Look at the size of the Lemon Meringue Pie and Frangipani Pie (recipe link below)
Fourthchild Cafe Restaurant is situated in an old building so they’ve gone with the natural antiqueness. This is a view of the roof where the shaft leads up to skylights (not visible on either side) for light and air in all weathers before air-conditioning was invented.
This is Boris the bison, overlooking the bar, keeping a watchful eye on proceedings.
We were in Ipswich to visit ‘The World Turns Modern’ an Art Deco exhibition atIpswich Art Galleryon loan from the National Gallery collection. But more on that another time.
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea” Henry James, The Portrait Of A Lady.
Afternoon tea offers a variety of rich, creamy cakes and sweet pastries. Ribbon sandwiches are sometimes served with savoury nibbles but the ubiquitous tea, scones, crumpets and homemade preserves are still in evidence.
The British aristocracy conceived Afternoon Tea a long time before their working classes began to consume High Tea in the evening. Traditionally afternoon tea is lighter than high tea, the latter consisting of heavier food like meats and fish which possibly morphed into dinner. Who knows? I’m only going on what I’ve read.
Australia was founded by the British so, up until recently, a fair amount of our eating habits were ever-so-English and afternoon Tea For Two was practiced both domestically and in cafés until the advance of a more universal drink – coffee. Most people are lucky if they get afternoon tea now, e.g. in my experience people have a break at ‘morning tea’ time.
My grandmother’s hand-stitched tablecloth and serviettes were linen and a deliciously laden 3-tiered cake stand was placed in the centre of the table on a crocheted doily. A posy of fresh flowers was discreetly positioned beside the teapot, milk jug and sugar bowl. The cutlery was usually a knife, for spreading strawberry jam and cream, and a spoon for stirring your tea.
The crockery set was china or hand-painted porcelain and generally both cups and saucers displayed dainty flowers. I learned to tell the difference between a teapot and a coffee pot by the position of the spout. Not many people remember the design reason for this! Sometimes during pouring, a small tea strainer was used. I won’t go into the variety of teas available but traditionally alcohol was not served.
“Happiness for me is largely a matter of digestion” said writer Lin Yutang and added“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life” ― Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living.
These are my thoughts becoming words and not necessarily historical facts; just how I remember it when I visited my grandmother in Melbourne, Victoria. As a child, in the homes of my friends, a serving of apple pie with ice-cream was just as good. Friday evening fish and chips were a treat, and when the first pizza was taken from the pizzeria oven, we were not sure how to pronounce it let alone eat it.
I have a pot of leaf tea with my breakfast and use a tea cosy. Teapots come in all shapes and sizes, and tea cosies, once the staple of the twentieth century Australian woman’s knitting repertoire, covered the pot and kept it warm. While the tea leaves brewed, a colourful and creative tea cosy added to the charm of many an afternoon tea table.
NOTE : Afternoon tea images may induce hunger pangs!
Maybe it’s because I was brought up by post-war parents that I am shocked at the staggering amount of food waste in Brisbane. I could not understand why our local Government has joined the world-wide campaign Love Food Hate Waste. Surely you only buy, cook and eat what you need and freeze leftovers?
Apparently for millions of households, it’s not that simple!
The Council brochure states “Love Food Hate Waste was launched in 2007 by Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP) in the United Kingdom followed by New Zealand, Canada and Australia. With food waste making up 37% of the average Brisbane rubbish bin, 1 in 5 shopping bags of food ends up in the bin. That’s 97,000 tonnes of food thrown away every year. There are simple and practical changes which residents can make in the kitchen to reduce food waste; planning, preparation and storage of food will make a big difference to your wallet and keep Brisbane clean, green and sustainable.”
Scramble over the mat, don’t trip on the dog, here’s a tasty listicle of Council wisdom prepared earlier:
Plan meals ahead – create a meal plan based on what is already in your fridge, freezer and pantry.
Shop mindfully – stick to your shopping list!
Store food correctly – Learn how to store food to ensure it lasts as long as possible and check your refrigerator is functioning at maximum efficiency.
Cook with care – Without controlling portions, we tend to waste food when we prepare or cook too much. Remember fruit and vegetables ripen quickly and are best consumed daily.
Love your leftovers – Freeze leftovers to use for lunches, keep for snacks, or add to another main meal.
Consider composting – Turn your kitchen scraps into rich nutrients for your garden, get a Bokashi bucket, consider owning pets like chickens or guinea pigs.
Join a community garden – Composting hubs operate in selected community gardens.
Six-week food waste challenge – Every week the Council will provide step-by-step information on how you can reduce food waste in your home. Seriously.
We are over-stocked, over-fed and over-indulgent of our taste buds. Or as my dear mother would say “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.”
Thoughts Become Words 
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